Role of Intraspecies Recombination in the Spread of Pathogenicity Islands within the Escherichia coli Species

摘要: Horizontal gene transfer is a key step in the evolution of bacterial pathogens. Besides phages and plasmids, pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are subjected to horizontal transfer. The mechanisms PAIs within certain species or between different still not well understood. This study focused on High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI), which PAI widely spread among extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli serves as model for general. We applied phylogenetic approach using multilocus sequence typing HPI-positive -negative natural E. isolates representative diversity infer mechanism HPI species. In each strain, partial nucleotide sequences 6 HPI–encoded genes housekeeping genomic backbone, DNA fragments immediately upstream downstream were compared. revealed that solely vertically transmitted, but recombination large beyond plays major role support results analyses, we experimentally demonstrated can be transferred strains by F-plasmid mediated mobilization. Sequencing chromosomal regions recipient strain indicated was integrated together with HPI–flanking donor strain. this demonstrate first time conjugative homologous play island coli.